Environment & Science

Antares blasts off on ISS supply mission

The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, is seen during sunrise, Saturday, July 12, 2014, at launch Pad-0A of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The Antares will launch with the Cygnus spacecraft filled with over 3,000 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions. The Orbital-2 mission is Orbital Sciences' second contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA/Bill Ingalls

The Antares rocket, carrying an unmanned Cygnus resupply capsule packed with 3,293 lbs. of cargo, including food, science experiments and small satellites lifted off from Wallops at 12:52 ET.

At a pre-launch briefing on Saturday, former NASA astronaut and Orbital Sciences CEO Frank Culbertson said the company was "real proud to be part of the team that is keeping the station flying and providing the crew with cargo and research they need."

"Orbital [Sciences], which is based in Dulles, Virginia, has a $1.9-billion contract with NASA to carry out eight cargo missions through 2016. Elon Musk's SpaceX, the only other commercial company with a NASA resupply contract, has been commissioned to fly 12 missions to the station under a $1.6 billion deal.

"The mission, dubbed Orb-2, was originally scheduled for May. It had been postponed due to conflicts with other launches and technical issues, including the failure of an AJ26 engine — the kind that powers Antares' first stage — during a test at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, which prompted an investigation.

"Then this week, the mission was repeatedly delayed because stormy weather prevented Orbital's launch team from conducting normal operations to get the rocket ready on the pad."